Jacob had twelve sons, Genesis 29:31-30:24 and 35:23-26 | Bibleview English » » Bible » » Genesis – Part Two » » Jacob had twelve sons, Genesis 29:31-30:24 and 35:23-26 Jacob had twelve sons, Genesis 29:31-30:24 and 35:23-26 Jacob had only eleven sons born to him before he left Laban in Paddan Aram e.g. Northern Euphrates. Now eastern Turkey or northern Syria. Benjamin was born to his wife Rachel later. These Twelve sons are to become the 12 tribes of Israel. Leah also bore Jacob a daughter called Dinah. Later we find her involved in a unhappy event for the sons of Jacob. see Genesis 34:1-31. Background Reading: Jacob had twelve sons – Leah’s Children 29:31 Later, the LORD noticed that Leah was being neglected, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless.

32 Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben, because she was saying, “The LORD had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me.” 33 Later, she conceived again, bore a son, and declared, “Because the LORD heard that I’m neglected, he gave me this one, too.” So she named him Simeon. 34 Later, she conceived again and said, “This time my husband will become attached to me, now that I’ve borne him three sons.” So he named him Levi. 35 Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, “This time I’ll praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing children.

Genesis 29:31-35 and Rachel’s Children by Bilhah 30:1 Rachel noticed that she was not bearing children for Jacob, so because she envied her sister Leah, she told Jacob, “If you don’t give me sons, I’m going to die!” 2 That made Jacob angry with Rachel, so he asked her, “Can I take God’s place, who has not allowed you to conceive?” 3 Rachel responded, “Here’s my handmaid Bilhah. Go have sex with her. She can bear children on my knees so I can have children through her.” 4 So Rachel gave Jacob her woman servant Bilhah to be his wife, and Jacob had sex with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore a son for Jacob. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore, she named him Dan. 7 Rachel’s servant conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob, 8 so Rachel said, “I’ve been through a mighty struggle with my sister and won.” She named him Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her woman servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a son to Jacob, 11 and Leah exclaimed, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. 12 Later, Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a second son for Jacob. 13 She said, “How happy I am, because women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. Outcome of the Mandrakes found by Reuben 14 Some time later, during the wheat harvest season, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field and brought them back for his mother Leah. Then Rachel told Leah, “Please give me your son’s mandrakes.” 15 In response, Leah asked her, “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband?

Now you also want to take my son’s mandrakes!” But Rachel replied, “Okay, let’s let Jacob sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went to meet him and told him, “You’re having sex with me tonight. I traded my son’s mandrakes for you!” So he slept with her that night. 17 God heard what Leah had said, so she conceived and bore a fifth son for Jacob. 18 Then Leah said, “God has paid me for giving my servant to my husband as his wife.” So she named him Issachar. 19 Later, Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son for Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. This time my husband will exalt me, because I’ve borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 21 After that, Leah conceived, bore a daughter, and named her Dinah. Rachel’s Son Joseph is Born 22 Then God remembered Rachel.

He listened to her and opened her womb, 23 so she conceived, bore a son, and remarked, “God has removed my shame.” 24 Because she had been asking, “May God give me another son,” she named him Joseph. Genesis 30:1-24 and Rachel Dies in Childbirth 35:16 Later, they set out from Beth-el. While still a long way from Ephrathah, Rachel started to have trouble giving birth. 17 While she was suffering due to her difficult labor, the midwife told her, “Don’t fear! You’re going to have another son.” 18 Just before she died, Rachel called her son’s name Ben-oni, but his father Jacob named him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, also known as Bethlehem. 20 Jacob erected a pillar over her grave, and that pillar stands over Rachel’s grave to this day. Jacob Settles Near Migdal Eder 21 Jacob continued his travels, and eventually pitched his tent facing Migdal Eder.

22 But while Israel lived in that land, Reuben went inside his father’s tent and had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons. 23 Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin. 25 Rachel’s servant Bilhah’s sons were Dan and Naphtali. 26 Leah’s servant Zilpah’s sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons who were born to him while he lived in Paddan-aram. Genesis 35:16-26 Leah: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive by Tikva Frymer-Kensky Leah is the elder daughter of Laban and the wife of Jacob, father of twelve sons who will become the twelve tribes of Israel. Leah and her sister Rachel, whose names mean “cow” and “ewe,” give Jacob many sons; and their father gives him actual live-stock Leah is described as having “soft (lovely) eyes” (Gen 29:7).

Some translations (such as NJPS, RSV, NEB, and REB), perhaps influenced by Jacob’s preference for Rachel, render this as “dull-eyed” or “weak eyes,” but the more appropriate translation is “soft eyes” (as in NRSV and NAB)—what we might call “cow eyes.” She has six sons, who become six of the Israelite tribes (Gen 35:23; 46:5, 14). Jacob sets out to Mesopotamia to marry from his parents’ collateral line. His father Isaac had married a first cousin, once removed; Jacob will marry his matrilineal first cousins and his paternal second cousins, once removed. In so doing, he too will marry into the family of Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, the grandfather of Rebekah, and the great-grandfather of Rachel and Leah. Jacob meets Rachel at a well (compare the stories of Zipporah and Rebekah) and falls in love. Penniless, he contracts to work seven years as his bride wealth.

After the wedding feast, in the dark of evening, Jacob goes in to consummate the marriage, but Leah has been substituted for her sister; in the morning, Jacob claims that “It was Leah!” (Gen 29:25). This is a multiple reversal: the trickster has been tricked, and the man who supplanted his elder brother marries the elder sister. Laban makes the message clear as he declares that the younger must not be married first. Jacob then arranges to receive Rachel at the end of the wedding week and thereafter to work another seven years to pay off her bride price. The two sisters are co-wives in competition for status in the household. Jacob clearly prefers Rachel (Gen 29:30). In compensation, God “opened [Leah’s] womb” (Gen 29:32), whereas Rachel proves to be barren. Perhaps the significance of Leah’s name comes into play here. Cows are a great symbol of fertility in Mesopotamia, partially because of the similarity between the words littu, “cow,” and alittu, “birthgiver.” Leah’s fertility quickly results in four sons.

Nevertheless, because of Jacob’s obvious preference for Rachel, Leah remains insecure and in the naming of her sons shows how she hopes to gain favor through bearing them. She names her first son Reuben (“see, a son”) her next one Simeon (“God heard that I am unloved”), the third one Levi (“now my husband will be with me”), and the fourth one Judah (“thanks! [NRSV, praise]”). At this point Rachel is jealous and has her maid Bilhah give birth to two sons; Leah, no longer fertile, responds by having her own maid Zilpah bear two sons (Gen 30:9–13; 35:26; 46:18). The climax in the rivalry between the sisters/co-wives comes when Reuben finds mandrakes. Both sisters want them for their fertility-inducing powers and perhaps also for their aphrodisiac qualities. They strike a bargain: Leah will give Rachel the mandrakes in return for a night with Jacob. Leah crudely announces to Jacob that she has “hired” him with the mandrakes, and Jacob spends the night with her (Gen 30:14–17).

When co-wives unite in purpose, husbands must comply. The new accord between the sisters helps Leah become pregnant (or the mandrakes work), for she gives birth to two more sons—Issachar (“God has given me my hire”) and Zebulon (“now my husband will honor me”)—and a daughter, Dinah (Gen 30:17–21). The sisters are also in accord when Jacob asks them to come back with him to Canaan, but they are unhappy that their father gave them nothing of the bride wealth that Jacob provided in his fourteen years of service (Gen 31:3–15). Yet, like Rebekah, they affirm their choice to leave their parental home. They depart together, but despite all her children, Leah is still second best. When Jacob believes that danger threatens in his meeting with Esau, he arranges his family so that the maids and their children are placed first, then Leah and her children, and last and most protected, Rachel and Joseph (Gen 33:1–2; compare 32:22). Even after Rachel’s death, Jacob will continue to favor her son, Joseph.

Leah does not play the kind of role in determining the fate of her sons that Rebekah and Sarah did, perhaps because she never feels as secure as they did, and possibly because in a polygamous situation, co-wives have less influence except when they are united. The absence of a clear matriarchal hand shows itself in the uncontrolled friction between the children, but all the children of Jacob are to inherit the blessing. Nothing more is heard of Leah other than Jacob’s statement that he buried her in the Cave of Machpelah with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 49:31). In Israelite tradition, the maid-mothers were forgotten, but Rachel and Leah were remembered. The prophet Hosea relates how Jacob went to Aram to search for a wife (Hos 12:13), and the wedding blessing for Ruth remembers Rachel and Leah as the ancestresses “who built up the house of Israel” (Ruth 4:11). Bibliography Brenner, Athalya.

“Female Social Behaviour: Two Descriptive Patterns Within the ‘Birth of the Hero’ Paradigm.” Vetus Testamentum 36 (1986): 257–273. Cohen, Norman J. “Two That Are One: Sibling Rivalry in Genesis.” Judaism 32 (1983): 331–342. Jagendorf, Zvi. “‘In the Morning, Behold, It Was Leah’: Genesis and the Reversal of Sexual Knowledge.” Prooftexts 4 (1984): 187–192. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Women in Scripture. New York: 2000. Ross-Burstall, Joan. “Leah and Rachel: A Tale of Two Sisters [Gen 29:31–30:24].” Word and World 14 (1994): 162–170. Jacob at Laban’s - Jewish History Jewish History Jacob Returns to Canaan Jacob’s Arrival in Haran Jacob continued his trip eastward. It was afternoon when he reached the outskirts of Haran.

He found shepherds resting near a well, watching their flocks. Jacob greeted them and asked them about the town and his uncle Laban. Just then, Rachel, Laban’s daughter, arrived with her father’s herds. Jacob inquired why the shepherds did not water their flocks while it was still day. He was told that only the concerted efforts of all the shepherds could remove the rock that covered the mouth of the well. Hearing this, Jacob walked over to the well and single-handed rolled the stone from its place. Then he watered the herds of his uncle. Rachel, who with all the others had watched this astonishing feat of Jacob’s strength, was overjoyed to hear that this outstanding visitor was none other than her own cousin, the son of her father’s sister. She hurried home to tell her father about Jacob’s arrival, and Laban went out to the well to greet his nephew and welcome him into his home. The Price of a Wife Jacob had spent a month in Laban’s house, tending his uncle’s sheep.

Laban, very much satisfied with his nephew’s excellent service, and aware of the blessing that his nephew’s arrival seemed to have brought to his house, wanted to make sure that he would not lose him too soon. He therefore said to him: “You shall not serve me for nothing because you are my relative. Tell me, what shall be your reward?” Jacob replied that he was willing to serve Laban seven years for the hand of his younger daughter Rachel. Laban was satisfied with this proposition, for he could hardly find a better son-in-law, and it had always been his wish that his daughters should be married to his sister’s sons. Jacob served him seven years faithfully, giving up sleep and rest in tender care of his uncle’s flocks. And G‑d’s blessing was with him. When the day arrived on which Rachel was to be wedded to him, Laban substituted Leah, his older daughter. Having foreseen such a possibility, Jacob had arranged with Rachel a series of signals by which she was to make her identity known to him when she was a heavily veiled bride.

The good and self-effacing Rachel, however, wishing to spare her sister embarrassment and shame, revealed the secret code to Leah, and Jacob did not discover the ruse until it was too late. When Jacob, discovering that his uncle had tricked him, demanded an explanation, Laban told him that it was not the custom of the land to marry off the younger daughter before the older one. If Jacob wished to get Rachel as his wife, he would have to serve him another seven years. There was nothing left for Jacob but to agree to do so, and he served Laban for an additional period for seven years. Jacob’s Children In addition to Leah and Rachel, Jacob married Silpa and Bilha, two members of Laban’s household. Leah bore him seven children: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and a girl, Dinah. Rachel, who was childless till the seventh year of their marriage, finally was blessed with a son, Joseph, and shortly before her death with another boy, called Benjamin. Jacob’s two other wives also bore him children; Bilha gave him Dan and Naphtali, and Silpa, Gad and Asher.

The twelve sons of Jacob were to become the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob’s Wealth After the birth of Joseph, Jacob planned to return to Canaan. During the fourteen years he had lived with his kinsman, the house of the latter had been blessed and had prospered, and his wealth and possessions had increased. Jacob now felt that the time had come for him to return to Beer Sheba; he was ninety-one years of age and still an exile and a servant. So he entreated Laban to let him depart; but Laban could not bear the thought of losing him, knowing of the divine blessing that rested on everything Jacob touched. Therefore, he promised him part of his flocks as reward for his services, so that Jacob could make his own fortune. Jacob stayed on for an additional six years. However, Laban tried all kinds of tricks and ruses to cheat Jacob out of the payment due him by their agreement. But G‑d blessed Jacob, and his flocks multiplied rapidly, until he became a rich man. In fact, Jacob’s flocks thrived so well that he became the object of much admiration all over the country, and sheep breeders from far and wide came to deal with Jacob.

Thus his wealth was increased many times, and his household was augmented with many servants and slaves. Leah | Bible Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Delicate/Weak eyed Biography When Laban asked his nephew what his wages shall be, Jacob pledged that he would work for him for seven years in exchange for marrying his youngest daughter Rachel. Laban agreed to the pledge and so Jacob worked to keep his flocks. By the time the seven years were finished, Laban gave Jacob a feast, but substituted Leah for Rachel. When Jacob realized his uncle cheated him by giving him Leah instead of Rachel, Laban made an excuse that it's not customary among his people to give the youngest daughter ahead of the oldest one and so had Jacob work for him another seven years in order to have Rachel. During those years with Laban, God saw that Leah was "hated" by her husband because he loved Rachel more than her, and so enabled her to have children, whereas Rachel was left barren. Her first four children were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

When she stopped bearing and Rachel was jealous of her sister having children, she gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob as a wife and she bore to him Dan and Naphtali. Leah responded by giving her handmaid Zilpah as a wife when she couldn't bear children, and so had through her Gad and Asher. Later on, Leah had Jacob sleep with her in exchange for giving some of her son Reuben's mandrakes to Rachel, and God enabled her to have children again: this time two sons Issachar and Zebulun and a daughter named Dinah. Some years later, after Jacob had acquired a great deal of flocks from his uncle Laban's, Jacob was called by God to return to his own people and so had his wives and his children leave secretly without telling Laban. He soon found out and pursued after them, stopping at the mountain of Gilead to confront his nephew for taking his daughters away like captives and for stealing his household gods (which Rachel did behind Jacob's back). After unsuccessfully trying to find his stolen gods, Laban and Jacob made an agreement with each other and parted ways after saying goodbye.

Leah outlived her sister Rachel, who died while she was giving birth to her second son Benjamin. She was buried in the cave at Machpelah along with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and later her husband Jacob. Leah is an ancestress of King David, and ultimately Jesus Christ, through her son Judah. RACHEL AND JACOB: the Bible's great love story The story of Rachel ( Genesis 29, 30, 35:16-30 ) Rachel was the beautiful daughter of Laban, brother of Isaac 's wife Rebecca . Every afternoon when the heat of the day had passed, she watered her flock of sheep at a well near Haran, an outpost of the ancient city of Ur - see Map 1, Bible Maps. Rachel at the well One afternoon a young traveler called Jacob was there. He chatted with the shepherds, telling them who he was and asking about other members of his family - they had originally come from this area, and he was looking for them. The men obligingly pointed towards a woman in the distance, telling Jacob she was Rachel, the daughter of his motherï¿½s brother Laban.

When Jacob saw Rachel at close quarters he was instantly smitten. In an act of bravado he removed the great stone cover of the well single-handed, no doubt hoping to impress the young woman. He was successful. In response, Rachel ran to her fatherï¿½s house and told him about the young man. Her father Laban ran out to meet Jacob, welcoming him warmly. Jacob stayed with Rachelï¿½s family for a month, and during this time he fell deeply in love with Rachel. Jacob asks for Rachel Jacob approached Laban for permission to marry Rachel. But Jacob was empty-handed, and could not produce the normal bride-price for Rachel. Laban agreed that his daughter might marry Jacob but stipulated that, as a bride price, Jacob must work for him for seven years (the seven year cycle was a sacred one in the ancient world). Jacob agreed, and he and Rachel settled down to see out the long period of waiting. What neither of them realized was that Laban had agreed to let 'his daughter' marry Jacob, but had not specified which daughter it would be. Rachel had an older sister Leah, not so beautiful, and the older sister in a family was usually married before her younger sister.

Laban tricks Jacob A veiled woman The seven years passed, and Jacob demanded his bride. The girl was dressed in her finest clothes, including a rich head-dress and veil that covered her face. When the drinking banquet was over her father led her, still veiled, into the room of her bridegroom, and she and Jacob made love. By this time, he had drunk a considerable amount. When the morning dawned, Jacob realized his mistake. The bride in his bed was not Rachel, but Leah - he had been tricked into marrying the wrong sister. There was a kind of horrible irony in this: Jacob had outwitted his brother Esau; now he was outwitted by someone even wilier than himself. Moreover, he was fooled with the same trick: he pretended to be his brother Esau, and now Leah had pretended to be her sister Rachel. Jacob marries both sisters Needless to say, he was enraged at the trick played on him. Laban simply shrugged his shoulders. Jacob insisted, and they came to an arrangement: he and Rachel would marry after the traditional week that Jacob must spend as Leah's bridegroom, and work for another seven years to pay the bride-price for her.

Jacob never forgave Leah for her part in the deception. She was the 'unloved' wife, but the original Hebrew word is better translated as 'detested'. Rachel may have been the more loved of the two, but she was not the most fertile. Though she and Jacob were deeply in love, she did not conceive for many years. Modern-day nomadic tent-dwellers Leah on the other hand had no problem in bearing children. Almost immediately after marrying Jacob and despite the fact she was 'unloved', she became pregnant and gave birth to a series of male babies. Leah bore Reuben, then Simeon, then Levi, then Judah. Each time she had another son, she prayed that Jacob would finally love her as he loved Rachel. He never did. Rachel cannot conceive Rachel faced a different problem. No matter how she prayed to God, no matter how much she was loved by Jacob, Rachel did not conceive. In desperation she gave her maid Bilhah to Jacob, so that he could conceive a child with Bilhah as a surrogate mother for Rachel. This practice was common in the ancient world and it was a step up the social ladder for the woman, who became a concubine instead of a servant.

Bilhah had a son, whom Rachel named Dan. Then she had a second son, and Rachel called him Naphtali. In response, Leah gave her own maid Zilpah to Jacob, and this resulted in yet more sons: Gad and Asher. A bitter rivalry developed between the two women. The mandrake roots One day, Leahï¿½s son Reuben found some mandrake roots in the fields (see an example at right). Mandrake roots were a popular aphrodisiac in the ancient world, probably because they looked like the sexual organs of a well-endowed man . Reuben took the mandrakes to his mother, and when Rachel saw them she asked Leah if she could have some of them. Leah agreed, on condition that Rachel commanded Jacob to have sexual intercourse with Leah that night. Rachel complied, and this resulted in a fifth son for Leah. She called him Assachar. Later, another son arrived for Leah, called Zebulun. Finally, she bore Jacob a daughter, Dinah. 'Jacob, Joseph', Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel, Rome Here's something strange This is one of the biblical paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, Rome.

Its caption, as you can see, is 'Jacob, Joseph'. For some reason, probably ignorance of the Bible stories, some websites and books, even Wikipedia, interpret the names as Jacob (from the Book of Genesis) and Joseph, husband of Mary in the New Testament. The first assumption is correct; the second is nonsense. The painting is clearly not of Joseph in the New Testament. It is Joseph, son of Jacob in the Book of Genesis. Each of the figures in Michelangelo's painting is a known character in the Genesis story, as anyone who knows the Bible story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah can tell you. On the left side sits Jacob - and the face given him by Michelangelo suits the deceitful man in Genesis very well. Beside him is a rather sickly Rachel with her first son Joseph. She will later die at the birth of her second child. On the right side is Leah 'of the beautiful eyes', blessed with many sons. Bible Study Activities Long-term Plans: Rachel and Jacob waited seven years. Have you made similar sacrifices? Deceit: Virtually everyone in the story is deceitful or deceived. What about you? Do we deceive ourselves and others? What is the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel?

What is the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel? Subscribe to our Question of the Week : Question: "What is the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel?" Answer: The story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel comprises one of the larger sections of Genesis and includes much information relevant to the history of the Jewish people. Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, fled to his mother’s brother Laban. At the time, Jacob feared his twin brother, Esau, would kill him (Genesis 27:41-46). Laban offered Jacob a place to stay. Jacob soon fell in love with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel, and agreed to work for Laban seven years in exchange for marriage to her (Genesis 29:16-20). Laban agreed, but after seven years, he deceived Jacob and gave Rachel’s older sister, Leah, to him as a wife instead. Jacob protested, but Laban argued that it wasn’t the custom to give the younger daughter in marriage first. Laban then said Jacob could have Rachel in exchange for another seven years of work (Genesis 29:21-30).

In an ironic twist, the deceiver Jacob had been deceived and had two wives in exchange for fourteen years of work. Jacob showed favoritism to Rachael and loved her more than Leah. God compensated for the lack of love Leah received by enabling her to have children and closing Rachel’s womb for a time (Genesis 29:31). There developed an intense rivalry between the two wives. In fact, at one time the wives bartered over the right to sleep with Jacob. Genesis 30:16 says, “When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, ‘You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes.’ So he lay with her that night.” In the end, Jacob fathered twelve sons and some daughters. Leah bore him six sons; Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, bore him two; Rachel bore him two; and Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, bore him another two (Genesis 35:23-36). After twenty years with Laban, Jacob, now very wealthy, moved his family back to his father’s land.

As they were leaving Laban’s house, Rachel stole her father’s teraphim (Genesis 31). Jacob knew that he would have to face Esau again. He still feared Esau’s anger, and he sent gifts to satisfy him before he arrived. The night before Jacob crossed the Jordan, he “wrestled with God” and was given the name Israel, confirming that he was the one who would receive the promises granted to Abraham. Rachel died giving birth to her second child, Benjamin. Even Benjamin’s name, meaning “son of my right hand,” indicates the importance Jacob placed on his youngest son because of his love for Rachel. Rachel “was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day” (Genesis 35:19-20). Leah was buried in the same tomb as Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 49:30-32). Jacob and his son Joseph would also later be buried in this tomb (Genesis 50).

The story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel is filled with much difficulty, yet God used these people greatly to impact history. Their twelve sons were the leaders of the twelve tribes that became the nation of Israel. Through their family, Jesus Christ would be born from the tribe of Judah to offer salvation to all (John 3:16; Luke 2:10). Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual Lesson 31: Genesis 28–30 Decide what to teach There will usually be more material in a scripture block than can be meaningfully discussed in a class period. Prayerfully study the scriptures and the curriculum to discern which doctrines and principles are the most important for your students to discover, understand, and apply. Genesis 28:1–22 Jacob is promised the blessings of Abraham Show students a picture of a temple, and ask why it is important to be married in the temple. • What blessings do we lose if we choose not to be married in the temple? Invite a student to read Genesis 28:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for instructions Isaac gave to his son Jacob. Ask students to report what they find.

Explain that the Canaanites worshipped idols and engaged in other practices that were offensive to God. A daughter of Canaan would not be worthy to join Jacob in entering into a marriage covenant with the Lord. Marrying a daughter of Canaan would mean marrying out of the covenant. Invite students to read Genesis 28:3–4 silently, looking for what Jacob was promised if he married in the covenant. • According to verse 4 , what was Jacob promised if he married in the covenant? (“The blessing of Abraham.” Point out that in order to receive the blessings of Abraham, Jacob would need to not only marry in the covenant but also remain faithful to that covenant.) • What can we learn from Genesis 28:1–4 about what we must do to receive the blessings of Abraham? (Students may use different words, but they should identify the following principle: If we marry in the covenant and remain faithful, then we will receive the blessings of Abraham. [See D&C 132:30–33 .]) • What does it mean to receive the blessings of Abraham?

(It means receiving the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant: numerous posterity [see Genesis 17:5–6 ; Abraham 2:9 ; 3:14 ]; receiving the gospel and bearing the priesthood to bless all the families of the earth; and an inheritance of land.) Summarize Genesis 28:5–9 by explaining that Jacob obeyed his father by leaving the land of Canaan to find a suitable companion to marry in the covenant. By leaving Canaan, Jacob was also obeying his mother, who had warned Jacob of Esau’s plan to kill him. After Esau saw the blessings promised to Jacob for marrying in the covenant and realized that his marriages to Hittite women displeased his father, Esau married one of Ishmael’s daughters anyway. Invite a few students to take turns reading aloud from Genesis 28:10–13 . Ask the class to follow along, looking for what happened while Jacob traveled from Canaan to Haran. Ask students to report what they find. • What did Jacob see in his dream? Show a picture of a ladder (or draw one on the board), and ask students how far the ladder extended.

After students respond, label the bottom of the ladder earth and the top of the ladder heaven or the presence of the Lord. • What do you think Jacob might have learned from the image of a ladder extending from earth to the Lord’s presence? Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Marion G. Romney of the First Presidency. Ask the class to listen for what President Romney taught about what rungs of the ladder represent. “Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord there were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord” ( “Temples—The Gates to Heaven,” Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16). • Based on what Jacob saw in his vision, why is it important to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel and keep their associated covenants? (Students may use different words, but they should identify the following principle: We must receive the saving ordinances of the gospel and keep their associated covenants in order to return to the presence of the Lord.) Invite a student to read Genesis 28:13–15 aloud.

Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Lord promised to give Jacob. Ask students to report what they find. • Considering that Jacob was traveling alone and escaping the threat of violence from Esau, how might the Lord’s promise, “I am with thee,” in verse 15 have helped him? Ask a few students to take turns reading aloud from Genesis 28:16–19, 22 . Invite the class to follow along, looking for how Jacob described the place where he had the dream. (You may need to explain that the phrases “he was afraid” and “how dreadful is this place” in verse 17 refer to feelings of reverence and awe. These phrases indicate that Jacob understood the seriousness of entering the presence of God.) • According to verse 17 , what did Jacob call the place where he had his dream? (The “house of God” and the “gate of heaven.” Explain that the phrase “gate of heaven” refers to a gateway to God’s presence where we can receive the promise of eternal life.) • Where can we go to be in the house of God and prepare for eternal life?

(After students respond, consider writing the following truth on the board: The temple is the house of God and the gate to eternal life.) Point to the picture of the temple you showed at the beginning of class. Ask students to imagine that someone has asked them why temples are so important to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Invite a few students to explain how they would respond. Consider sharing your testimony of temples and the ordinances and covenants we can receive there. Invite students to write in their class notebooks or scripture study journals a goal for what they will do to better keep the covenants they have already made so they can be prepared to enter the temple and receive additional ordinances and covenants. Summarize Genesis 28:20–22 by explaining that Jacob vowed that if the Lord would be with him, he would serve Him as his God. As part of this vow, Jacob committed to pay “the tenth” ( tithing ) to the Lord.

(You may want to remind students that the Lord sets the conditions of the covenants we make with Him.) Genesis 29:1–29 Jacob works for Laban for 14 years so he can marry Rachel Ask students to name some examples of things that require hard work and patience. After students respond, explain that Jacob had to work hard and be patient to receive the blessings the Lord had promised him. Summarize Genesis 29:1–14 by explaining that when Jacob arrived in Haran he met Rachel, one of Laban’s daughters, at a well. Laban welcomed Jacob to stay at his house. Explain that when Jacob said that he was Laban’s brother (see verse 12 ), this was another way of saying, “We are all family .” More specifically, Laban was Jacob’s uncle. Invite a few students to take turns reading aloud from Genesis 29:15–20 . Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Jacob was willing to do so he could marry Rachel. • What was Jacob willing to do so he could marry Rachel?

Point out that Jacob’s years of labor not only demonstrated his love for Rachel, but also demonstrated his commitment to marry in the covenant as his father, Isaac, had instructed him (see Genesis 28:1–4 ). Summarize Genesis 29:21–29 by explaining that after Jacob worked seven years to marry Rachel, Laban tricked him into marrying his older daughter, Leah, instead. Laban justified his actions by claiming that the oldest daughter should be married first. Laban told Jacob he could still marry Rachel after the weeklong wedding feast for Leah, but Jacob would have to agree to work for him another seven years. Jacob agreed to these conditions. Remind students that the Lord approved of Jacob’s plural marriages (see D&C 132:37 ). • What can we learn from Jacob’s example about obtaining the blessings the Lord has promised us?

(Students may use different words, but they might identify a principle similar to the following: We must work diligently and be patient as we seek to obtain the blessings the Lord has promised us.) Genesis 29:30–30:43 Children are born to Jacob, and the Lord prospers him Ask students to think about a challenge their family has experienced and what made it difficult. Explain that Jacob’s family went through difficulties as well. Invite a student to read Genesis 29:30–35 aloud and another student to read Genesis 30:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for the challenges Leah and Rachel experienced. • What difficulty did Leah have in her life? (Explain that the word hated as used in verse 31 was translated from the Hebrew word sahnay, which means “loved less.”) • How did the Lord help Leah cope with her challenge? • Leah - All the Women of the Bible - Bible Gateway Scripture References— Genesis 29; 30; 49:31; Ruth 4:11 Name Meaning—Leah as a name has been explained in many ways.

“Wearied” or “Faint from Sickness” with a possible reference to her precarious condition at the time of birth, is Wilkinson’s suggestion. Others say the name means “married” or “mistress.” The narrative tells us that she was “tender eyed” ( Genesis 29:17 ), which can mean that her sight was weak or that her eyes lacked that luster reckoned a conspicuous part of female beauty which Rachel her sister “beautiful and well-favoured” evidently had. Family Connections—Because Jacob was Rebekah’s son he was related to Leah by marriage. Leah was the elder daughter of Laban who, by deception, married her to Jacob, to whom she bore six sons and a daughter. By her maid, Zilpah, Leah added two more sons to her family. The romantic story of Jacob and his two wives never loses its appeal. After fleeing from and meeting God at Bethel, Jacob reached Haran and at Laban’s well he met his cousin Rachel drawing water for the sheep. It was love at first sight for Jacob, and his love remained firm until Rachel’s death in giving birth to her second child.

Going to work for his Uncle Laban, Jacob was offered wages in return for service rendered, but he agreed to serve Laban for seven years on the condition that at the end of the period Rachel should be his wife. Because of his love for Rachel those years seemed but a few days. At the end of the specified period however, Jacob was cruelly deceived by his uncle. As it was a custom of the time to conduct the bride to the bedchamber of her husband in silence and darkness, it was only with the morning light that Jacob discovered that he had been deceived by Laban as he saw Leah and not Rachel at his side. Laban condoned his unrighteous act by saying that the younger girl could not be given in marriage before the first-born, and Jacob covenanted to serve another seven years for Rachel, his true love inspiring him to be patient and persevering. Perhaps Jacob treated the deception as a retributive providence, for he had previously deceived his blind and dying father. Whether Leah participated in the deceit to win Jacob from her more beautiful sister we do not know. The moral tone of the home was low, and Leah may have been a child of environment.

This much is evident, that although she knew that the love of her husband’s heart was not for her but for Rachel, Leah genuinely loved Jacob and was true to him until he buried her in the cave of Machpelah. While Jacob was infatuated with Rachel’s beauty, and loved her, there is no indication that she loved him in the same way. “Rachel remains one of those women with nothing to recommend her but beauty,” says H. V. Morton. “She is bitter, envious, quarrelsome and petulant. The full force of her hatred is directed against her sister, Leah.” The names Leah gave her children testified to the miraculous faith God had planted in her heart. Somewhat despised by Jacob, she was yet remembered by the Lord. In spite of the polygamous marriage, she became the mother of six sons who were to become the representatives of six of the twelve tribes of Israel. The names Leah chose revealed her piety and sense of obligation to the Lord. Reuben, her first-born, means “Behold a son,” and Leah praised God for looking favorably upon her. Thus, divine compassion was carefully treasured in such a name which also the holder tarnished.

Simeon, the second son, means “Hearing,” so given by Leah since God had heard her cry because of Rachel’s hatred. Such a name as Simeon is a lasting monument of answered prayer. Levi, the next to be born implies, “Joined” and Leah rejoices feeling that her husband would now love her, and that through Levi’s birth she would be more closely united to her husband. Judah was the fourth son to be born to Leah, and she gave him a name meaning “Praise.” Perhaps by now Jacob had become a little more affectionate. Certainly the Lord had been good to both Leah and Jacob, and with the selfishness in her heart defeated, Leah utters a sincere Soli Deo Gloria—“I will praise the Lord.” Leah had two other sons named Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. Leah was uncomely when compared to her lovely sister, but what she lacked in beauty she made up for in loyalty to Jacob as a wife, and as a good mother to his children.

“It seems that homely Leah was a person of deep-rooted piety and therefore better suited to become instrumental in carrying out the plans of Jehovah than her handsome, but worldly-minded, sister, Rachel.” One evident lesson we can learn from the triangle of love in that ancient Israelite home is that solemn choices should not be based upon mere external appearances. Rachel was beautiful, and as soon as Jacob saw her he fell for her. But it was Leah, not Rachel, who bore Judah through whose line the Saviour came. The unattractive Leah might have repelled others, but God was attracted toward her because of an inner beauty which the lovely Rachel lacked. “There are two kinds of beauty,” Kuyper reminds us. “There is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is a beauty which God grants when by His grace men are born again. That kind of beauty never vanishes but blooms eternally.” Behind many a plain or ugly face there is a most lovely disposition. Also God does not look upon the outward appearance, but upon the heart. © 1988 Zondervan.

All Rights Reserved Bible Gateway People of the Bible: Jacob Jacob The son of Isaac and Rebekah, renamed Israel, became the father of the twelve tribal families. Jacob dreamed of a ladder stretching to heaven (Gen 28:12) Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the brother of Esau , and the grandson of Abraham and Sarah . The stories about Jacob are in the book of Genesis and take place during the Ancestrial Period . Jacob was known for trickery. He came out of the womb grasping his brother Esau's heal. Later he persuaded Esau to sell him his birthright and tricked Isaac into blessing him instead of Esau. Fearing his brother's anger he fled to live with his uncle Laban. On the way he had a dream in which he saw a ladder extending to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. Jacob married two sisters, Rachel and Leah, and also had two concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. These four women bore him twelve sons. Jacob became wealthy while working for his uncle Laban. Eventually jealousy among Laban's sons forced Jacob to flee back to Canaan in spite of his fear of Esau.

On the way he wrestled an angel all night. In the morning the angel changed Jacob's name to Israel and he became the father of the nation that bears his name. His sons gave their names to the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob eventually migrated to Egypt to be with his son Joseph , who had been sold there as a slave but later rose to prominence in Pharaoh's court.

Question: Which daughter of Laban and first wife of Jacob, bore him twelve sons?
Answer: LEAH